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Why Aren’t Those Kids In School?

“Make it your aim to live quietly and to mind your own business.”

– 1 Thess. 4: 11

Some questions and comments I get about my children while out-and-about are obviously an attempt to make conversation.

“Are they all yours?“, “Are they homeschooled?“, for example. Those don’t bother me at all. Often they lead to a nice chit chat. Sometimes older people will remark that large families were once common, or they’ll tell me they came from a large sibling group. Or they’ll say that they think homeschooling is wonderful, or whatever.

Other times, the tone and body language of the speaker let me know that their comment is a thinly veiled criticism.

The other day while on vacation, we ran to a store to get the baby a new pair of shoes. A woman in line behind us, visibly irritated at the horrible injustice of having to wait while we completed our transaction, said: “Why aren’t those kids in school?”

“Oh, they’re in school“, I replied coolly, quickly turning my back to her. I felt no need to make any explanations. After all, it was none of her business what my children were doing.

In situations like this, I ask myself whether it would be socially appropriate to ask a similar question to the adult. If it’s clearly rude to ask the same question of an adult, then that clues me in to the fact that this person views children as second class citizens, as property that is collectively owned. Which really, really ticks me off.

“Why aren’t you at work?”
“Why aren’t you at the gym?”
“Why aren’t you at finishing school?” (Where, ostensibly, you would learn some manners and class that your mother obviously didn’t teach you.)

The question implies fault. Those children SHOULD be in school, therefore I, as a perfect stranger with absolutely no investment in their well-being, have the right to question you.

Lady, don’t should on my children.

As we got back in the car, I realized what I should have said. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ll keep this one in my pocket for the next nosy busybody.

Comments

I’ve noticed this too. The littles are entering a charter school August 26. Everyone asks “so when do you go back to school?” Austin has been finishing up junior year. He started late (January) and has a parttime job working in landscaping. So he’s not quite finished. Hard to believe he’s starting his senior year soon. Where does the time go?

School in ancient Greece looked more like what modern college does, not a K12 school room of today. They’re very different.
Did you research those links? I was surprised when I discovered that the modern public school system was modeled after the communist model. I recommend John Taylor Gatto’s book The Underground History of American Education